Keeneland news: Fatale Bere brings Powell back for Queen Elizabeth II
Entered to run Saturday in the Grade 1, $500,000 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup, Del Mar Oaks (G1) winner Fatale Bere arrived at Keeneland on Tuesday from her Southern California base. She wasted no time leaving the barn, going for a jog with a lead pony Wednesday morning on the training track.
Owned by the partnership of the Benowitz Family Trust, Head of Plains Partners, Mark Mathiesen and Mathilde Powell, Fatale Bere will mark the first Keeneland starter for trainer Leonard Powell in 10 years.
“I brought one horse here for an allowance race in 2008,” Powell said of Scarlett’s Place, who finished fifth in that April race.
Fatale Bere came to Powell’s barn last year after beginning her career in France.
“She was purchased privately after she won her first two races,” Powell said. “She ran once more there and then came over and won a prep (the Surfer Girl) for the Breeders’ Cup.”
In the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, Fatale Bere finished fifth, beaten 2 ½ lengths by Rushing Fall, a filly she will see again in the QE II.
Fatale Bere has won two of her four starts in 2018 with both victories coming at the QE II distance of 1 1/8 miles. She has not raced since her Del Mar Oaks victory Aug. 18.
“It was more sensible to keep her with 3-year-old fillies and she runs well fresh,” Powell said.
Since coming to the U.S., Fatale Bere has run on firm courses at Santa Anita, Del Mar and Belmont Park. With rain in the forecast the next two days, softer going may be possible for Saturday.
“That is a question,” Powell said. “She is really good on firm, but she is inbred to (1985 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe-G1 winner) Rainbow Quest and he liked soft turf. So that gives me hope it will not be an issue.”
ALL SMILES FOR JIMENEZ AFTER FIRST GRADE 1 VICTORY
It has been a few days, but the smile remains for jockey Albin Jimenez when he looks back on his victory aboard Knicks Go in Saturday’s $500,000 Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity (G1).
Owned by KRA Stud Farm and trained by Ben Colebrook, Knicks Go led all the way to win by 5 ½ lengths and earn a spot in the $2 million Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Churchill Downs Nov. 2.
“I got to the three-eighths pole and I was wondering why there was no pressure on us,” Jimenez, a 27-year-old native of Panama, said of Knicks Go, who at 70-1 was the longest price on the board in the field of 13. “We got to the quarter pole and there was still nobody. I had a lot of horse and he just kept going.”
Jimenez came to the U.S. in 2010 and rode primarily Turfway Park and Indiana Grand. One trainer he rode for on a consistent basis was Wesley Ward.
“He asked me if I wanted to move on up, and last year I rode at Gulfstream in the winter for the first time,” said Jimenez, who plans to return to South Florida this winter. He rode 24 winners during the last winter meet.
GALLOPING OUT
Declan Carroll, son of David Carroll who runs the Keeneland string for trainer Mark Casse, will make his Keeneland riding debut Friday. Carroll will ride Christine Hites’ Rilla, a 5-year-old mare, in the third race, a $7,500 claiming event. Matt Kordenbrock trains Rilla.
“It will be his first dirt start,” David Carroll said of his son, who finished fourth on Woodbine’s all-weather surface Sept. 30 in his only other race.
UPCOMING STAKES PROBABLES
$100,000 SYCAMORE (G3) (Entries taken Saturday, Oct. 13; race Thursday, Oct. 18) – Arklow (trainer Brad Cox), Can’thelpbelieving (IRE) (Graham Motion), Cooptado (ARG) (Tom Morley), Teodoro (IRE) (Morley).
$150,000 PIN OAK VALLEY VIEW (G3) (Entries taken Sunday Oct. 14; race Friday, Oct. 19) – American Frolic (trainer David Fawkes), Beach Waltz (Mike Maker), Colonia (FR) (Graham Motion), Dark Artist (Jane Cibelli), Get Explicit (Barbara Minshall), High Tech (Ian Wilkes), Mighty Scarlett (Chad Brown), More Fun Again (Tom Proctor), Poetic Charm (GB) (Charles Appleby), Riversethedecision (Brown), Sirenusa (Joe Sharp).